ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to assess first-year pharmacy students' attitudes toward and interests in political activism due to the lack of published information on the political awareness, attitudes, and involvement of pharmacy students. First-year pharmacy students at a southern university were administered a questionnaire pertaining to political activism. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were calculated. In addition, an exploratory cluster analysis was performed based on a political activities scale. Students agreed that pharmacists should be aware of public policy issues and influence policy decisions. Voting was the most common form of participation in the political process, and when considered in the aggregate only one-third of the students were interested in being actively involved politically. The cluster analysis revealed four distinct groups of students with markedly different attitudes toward political participation. Two groups had a greater tendency for political activism; however, their motivations for such activity appeared different. Overall, students' indications of both their current and future political participation varied based on their cluster membership. To stimulate interest in being involved and developing political activism skills, it is essential for students to be introduced and invited to participate in the political process during their education. This research indicates that two types of politically motivated students may exist, and although their motivations are different, their activism may be similar. Further investigation into the nature and motivations for political activism in pharmacy is warranted.
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